6 More Weeks of Winter: The Groundhog Has Seen His Shadow! (1524 hits)
Six More Weeks of Winter
Eva Weiss
Philadelphia, PA
Feb 2, 2015 — This morning, Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter. This is no surprise to the Munasinghes who are currently hurdling over 14 inches of snow in Ann Arbor.
Groundhog's Day (www.imdb.com/title/tt0107048) has particular resonance to nonimmigrant visa holders like Sadeepa and her family. Film enthusiasts hypothesize that Bill Murray's character spends anywhere from eight to 34 years trapped in February 2nd. Similarly, nonimmigrant visa holders like Sadeepa have few chances to adjust their visa status (except potentially through marriage or high-skilled employment sponsorship). As such, they are forced to live visa to visa, in a perpetual present.
For a number of reasons, our immigration system needs reform. Yet proposed reforms, including the recent Senate bill, still do not adequately address nonimmigrant status or situations like medical necessity. Please share this petition with your network to support a change to nonimmigrant visa policy and help Sadeepa secure residency for life-saving medical treatment!
One of our favorite all-time flicks here at The Lodge is Groundhog's Day. Bill Murray is just damn funny and the celebration of Groundhog's Day is a uniquely American event. It's a day when man leaves his fate and hopes of sunshine in the hands of a nervous, burrowing rodent. The tradition began here in Pennsylvania by German immigrants who brought with them a unique heritage and tradition. Apparently, looking forward to Spring is a universal tradition. The earliest historical reference dates to 1841 where the celebrations in Morgantown recorded that, he in fact did see his shadow. You see, the whole game is based on whether the sun is shining precisely when the Groundhog appears in the morning. Shadow? The scared ****less little bugger goes back in for 6 more weeks of Winter hibernation. No Shadow? Alas, Spring has sprung and Mr. Groundhog stays out to play. So today, let's look to little Punxsutawney Phil, the most famous of weather prognosticators and see what he says. If you're a betting man, don't put money on this one- Phil's predictions have only been right 40% of the time. Damnit, bring on the Spring! Here's a link to our favorite Groundhog site featuring Punxsutawney PA's own Phil.
